Railway car



y 1967 F. c. PULCRANO 3,319,585

RAILWAY CAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 23, 1965 QQV N wI

' INVENTOR. FRANK C. PULCRANO ATTORNEY F. C. PULCRANO May 16, 1967 RAILWAY CAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 23, 1965 May 16, 1967 F. c. PULCRANO RAILWAY CAR 3 heets-Sheet 5 Filed April 23, 1965 United States Fatent Gtilice asiass s Patented May is, 1967 3,319,585 RAILWAY CAR Frank C. Pulcrano, Bridgeton, Mo., assignor to ACE Industries, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 23, 196, Ser. No. 450,350 Claims. (Cl. 105- 16?) This invention relates to railway cars and more particularly to a side construction for a railway car.

Heretofore, side constructions of box cars have normally comprised a plurality of flat sheets secured, such as by riveting, to a plurality of vertically extending posts spaced along the length of the car. This type of side construction requires considerable time in fabrication and normally requires an overlap between the posts and sheets for securement. Also, side panels for railway cars have been pressed to form side reinforcements, such as shown in US. Patent No. 1,292,899 issued Jan. 28, 1919.

By forming the sides of box cars from a plurality of integral preformed sections, several advantages are obtained. The time and welding involved in fabricating the sides of the box cars are reduced to a minimum resulting in an economical design. Further, the formation of vertical posts from a generally fiat sheet provides vertically extending cavities or recessed spaces exposed to the interior of the box car. Such recesses or cavities have various uses such as, for example, an area in which vertically extending wooden posts may fit with the inner surfaces thereof flush with the inner surfaces of the adjacent box car side so that a wood lining may be easily secured directly adjacent the side. Additionally, lading strap anchors flush with the sides of the box car may be easily positioned in such recessed spaces. Other uses include supports positioned across the cavities to support crossbar members, side fillers, load dividers and the like. In the event it is desired to cover the cavities, a suitable closure plate or cover may be secured over the cavities.

The present invention comprises a plurality of preformed side sheet sections or panels each having integral vertically extending stiifening posts. The posts are pressed in the side sheet panels and each post has an offset ledge on each side thereof to permit the cavity formed by the post to be spanned by a separate member, such as a lading anchor or cover plate, secured to the offset ledge while remaining flush with the interior surface of the side panel. The exposed inner surfaces of the offset ledges extend in a direction generally parallel to the inner surface of the panel and are connected to the inner surface of the panel by an inclined surface thereby to permit easy access to the offset ledges for welding and the like. Additional uses of such ledges include cross members spanning the cavities formed by the vertical posts to provide a step ladder employed with certain side fillers and the like.

When employed in box cars, an increased dock plate area is provided by an outwardly projecting side sill web and threshold plate at the door opening without affecting the interior clearance of the box car.

It is an object of this invention to provide a side construction for railway cars which minimizes the welding in fabricating car sides and minimizes buckling of the car sides.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an integral vertically reinforced side construction in which lading strap anchors and cover plates for the cavities formed by the vertical reinforcement are flush with the interior surface of the side construction.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a side construction for a box car in which a simplified top chord structure is arranged with the roof sheets overlapping the sides of the car.

An additional object is the provision of such a side construction for a box car in which an increased dock plate area is provided in the door opening without affecting the interior space of the box car.

The present side construction provides a versatility so that a single box car design may be utilized selectively for a single sheet car without interior wood lining or a double sheet car having wood lining while maintaining the commonly accepted interior width between the opposed side linings.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which several of various possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated;

FIGURE 1 is a partial side elevation of a railway car having a side construction comprising the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective of one panel of the side construction secured to an upper chord member and a lower side sill structure;

FIGURE 3 is a section taken generally along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 showing a side panel secured to an upper chord member and a lower side sill structure;

FIGURE 4 is a section taken generally along line 44 of FIGURE 1 and showing the side construction at the door opening for a plug door;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged side elevation of a lower corner of the door opening illustrating the door gusset and side construction;

FIGURE 6 is a section taken generally along line 66 of FIGURE 5 and showing the side sill structure projecting outwardly in the area of the door opening;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged section taken generally along line 77 of FIGURE 1 and showing a plurality of connected side panels;

FIGURE 8 is a typical cross section of one of the side stiifeners showing a closure plate arranged to cover the recess formed by the stiffener;

FIGURE 9 is a cross section of a modified form of side reinforcement adapted for use with a wood interior lining, a nailing post being positioned in the recess formed by the stitfener;

FIGURE 10 is a cross section of a further modification of the stifiener adapted to be employed with lading strap anchors; and

FIGURE 11 is a section of a modified side construction for the door opening similar to FIGURE 4 but adapted for a sliding type door.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings for better understanding of my invention, and more particularly to FIGURES l3, a railway car 19 is partially shown in FIGURE 1 having a truck 12 and a side generally designated 14. Side 14 is formed of a plurality of intermediate integral side panels 16 welded to each other and has a door opening 18 adapted to receive a plug type door (not shown). The integral side panel adjacent the door opening is designated 20 (see FIGURES 5 and 6) and the end panel is designated 22 as shown in FIGURE 7.

A side sill generally designated 24 extends along each side of railway car 10 and comprises a vertical web 26, a lower inwardly turned flange 2S, and an angle 39 secured along the upper edge of web 26. When employed with a wooden floor F as shown in FIGURE 3, a clip 32 may be secured by bolt and nut combination 34 to the underside of angle 30.

The side construction further includes an upper top chord member generally designated 36 of a T-shape comprising a vertical web 38 and an upper horizontal plate 48. A roof sheet 42 may 'be easily secured, such as by rivets 43, to the upper surface of plate 48.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 7 and 8, each intermediate panel 16 has an inner face or surface 44 and an outer face or surface 46 forming the interior and outer faces of car side 14. A plurality of vertically extending stiffeners or reinforcing ribs 48 are pressed from a flat sheet to form panel 16. An upper marginal portion 58 of each panel extends upwardly from stifieners 48 and a lower marginal portion 52 extends downwardly from each stiffener 48. Marginal portion 58 is secured, such as by welding, to the outer surface of vertical web 38 and marginal portion 52 is secured, such as by welding, to the outer face of side sill web 26 as shown in FIGURE 3.

Each rib 48 has a channel-shaped section 54 projecting outwardly from inner face 44 a distance A of around two and one half (2 /2) inches to form a recess or cavity 56. Panel 16 is of a thickness of around one eighth /3) inch and is adapted to be formed in a cold pressing operation. Thicknesses of between about one sixteenth and five sixteenth (7 inch may be used effectively in a cold pressing operation. If a hot pressing operation is employed, thicknesses of five eighths /8) inch or over may be used.

In order to provide an area or surface on which a closure plate or support member may be easily welded and offset outwardly from interior surface 44, a flat ledge 58 is pressed in the sheet forming panel 16 adjacent each side of channel-shaped section 54 and has a width dimension as denoted at B. The width of ledge 58 is around one fourth A1) inch but may be from between around one eighth (M5) to three three eighths A5) inch. Section 54 is integrally connected to flat ledge 58 by an arcuate portion 60 swung from a radius R of around one half /2) inch. Ledge 58 is pressed outwardly a distance C of around three eighths /8) inch. Dimension C may be between around one fourth A) inch and five eighths 4;) inch and yet provide adequate space in which to secure a closure plate or'the like by welding. An inclined surface 62 connects each ledge 58 with the remainder of panel 16. Surface 62 is at an angle E of 45 with interior surface 44 of panel 16. Angles between about 30 and 60 may be employed effectively to provide space for a welding tool or the like to secure a separate member to ledge 58. A closure plate 64 spans recess 56 and has an inner surface 66 in the same plane as inner panel face 44. In order that a welding seam not be in contact with lading which is resting against the inner surface 44 of railway car 10, closure 64 has outturned marginal edge portions 68 which are positioned on ledges 58 and form cavities with adjacent surfaces 62. Edge portions 68 are welded along welding seams 70 to ledges 58 at a position spaced outwardly from the inner face 44 of railway car side 14 and project into the cavities formed with adjacent inclined into the cavities formed with adjacent inclined surfaces 62 a distance suificient to receive welding seams 7t entirely within the associated cavities and to space the seams a substantial distance from inner face 44.

End panel 22 shown in FIGURES l and 7 is secured to a corner reinforcement 72. A curved corner sheet 74 is welded to the outer surface of reinforcement 72 and also riveted to a flange of reinforcement 72. Adjacent panels 16, 2t), 22 have adjacent overlapping stiffener portions 48A which are welded together to secure the panels. If desired, adjacent end portions of the panels may be butt welded.

In order to provide an increased supporting surface in the area of door opening 18 for a dock plate or the like (not shown) side sill 24 projects outwardly as shown in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6. Vertical web 26 at the door opening is substantially flush with the outer surface of stiffeners 48 as shown in FIGURE 4. A corner gusset 76 forms an upper pocket with panel 29 to receive a channel: shaped door post 78. Gusset 76 is pressed outwardly as shown in FIGURE 6 to form a gradual transition section 77 which tends to minimize stress concentrations. Panel 28 adjacent door opening 18 extends inwardly beyond post 78 and forms an edge 80 against which a plug door may fit. A lower reinforcing plate 82 for the door opening extends beneath an upper flange 84 on side sill 24. An angle 86 is secured to the upper surface of flange 84. A wood fioor F may be suitably secured to angle 86 and reinforcing plate 82 by a nut and bolt combination 9%.

An upper side reinforcing plate 92 is secured to the outer surface of the top chord vertical web 38 and a channel-shaped reinforcing member 94 is welded to the outer surface of side plate 92 to form a box-shaped door opening reinforcement. A suitable support indicated in broken lines at 96 may be secured to the outer surface of channel 94 to provide a support for a plug door.

FIGURE 11 shows a modification of the side construction at the door opening for a sliding door. A threshold plate 98 extends outwardly beyond web 26 of side sill 24. A Z-member 100 is positioned between upper side sill flange 84 and threshold 98 to reinforce the lower door opening. Thus, an increased support area for a dock plate is provided by the arrangement shown in FIGURE 11 as well as the main embodiment shown in FIGURE 4.

Referring to FIGURE 9, a further use of stiffener 48 is shown in which an interior wood lining L is secured to a wooden post I which is positioned in the recess formed by stiffener 48. A filler block H is positioned within the recess of reinforcement 48 and a plurality of studs S are welded to the interior surface of stiffener 48 to provide means to secure post P. The liner L may be nailed to post P which is secured by suitable means to studs S. It is noted that liner L is in contact with the inner surface 44 of panels forming the side 14 of the railway car.

Referring to FIGURE 10, a further embodiment is shown in which an additional use of stiffener 48 and ledges 58 is illustrated. A closure plate 64A is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spacer indentations 102. An anchor bar 184 spans the longitudinal dimension of each indentation 182 to provide an anchor for a lading strap or the like for securing lading within a car. The inner surfaces of closure plate 64A and anchor 104 are flush with interior surface 44 of the railway car side. Closure plate 64A has outturned edge portions 68 which are welded to ledges 58 in the same manner as the embodiment shown in FIGURE 8. Therefore, the weld seams are not in contact with the lading resting against the interior surface of the adjacent panel.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway box car side construction comprising an upper side plate having a vertical web and horizontal upper plate to form a T-shape, a roof extending over the horizontal upper plate and secured thereto, a lower side sill extending generally the length of the car, a plurality of performed panels spaced along the side of the car each having a plurality of integral vertical stiffeners projecting outwardly from the outer face of the box car side and forming longitudinally extending recessed portions on the opposite face of the side, each of said panels having a flat marginal portion at the upper and lower ends of the stiffeners lying in a plane coincident with the plane of the panel, the upper fiat marginal portion of each panel being secured to said vertical web of the side plate and the lower flat marginal portion of each panel being secured to the lower side sill, and an upper door frame and a pair of door posts defining a door opening in said box car sides between a pair of adjacent panels, said upper door frame comprising a channel secured to the upper side plate thereby to form a box-shaped section for reinforcing the upper door frame.

2. A railway box car side as set forth in claim 1 Wherein a vertical side reinforcing plate is secured to the outer face of the side plate vertical web and extends downwardly therefrom, and said channel is secured to the outer face of the side reinforcing plate.

3. A railway box car side construction comprising an upper chord member, a roof extending over the upper chord member and secured thereto, a lower side sill extending generally the length of the car and having a vertical web, a plurality of preformed panels spaced along the side of the car each having a plurality of integral vertical stiffeners projecting outwardly from the outer face of the box car side and forming longitudinally extending recessed portions on the opposite face of the side which extend outwardly beyond the subjacent side sill web, each of said panels having a flat marginal portion at the upper and lower ends of the stiifeners lying in a plane coincident with the plane of the panel, the upper flat marginal portion of each panel being secured to said upper chord member and the lower flat marginal portion of each panel being secured to the outer surface of said lower side sill web, a door opening in said box car side between a pair of adjacent panels door frame including a pair of spaced door posts aligned with said vertical stiifeners, the vertical web of each of said side sills projecting outwardly adjacent the door opening to a position beneath the door posts and outwardly of the outer face of the adjacent box car side, and a threshold plate secured to the subjacent side sill and extending between and outwardly of the door posts to provide an outwardly projecting support for a dock plate or the like.

4. A railway box car side construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein said upper chord member comprises a vertical web and a horizontal upper plate forming a T- shape, and said upper flat marginal portion of each panel is secured to the vertical web of the upper chord member.

5. A railway box car side construction as set forth in claim 4 wherein a side reinforcing plate is secured to the outer face of said chord member vertical web at the door opening and extends downwardly therefrom, and a channel is secured to the outer face of the side reinforcing plate to form a box-shaped section for reinforcing the top chord member.

6. A railway box car side construction comprising an upper side plate having a vertical web and a horizontal upper plate to form a T-shape, a lower side sill extending generally the length of the car and having a vertical web, a plurality of preformed panels spaced along the side of the car each having a plurality of integral vertical stiffeners projecting outwardly from the outer face of the box car side and forming longitudinally extending recessed portions on the inner face of said side which extend outwardly beyond the subjacent side sill web, each of said panels having a flat marginal portion at the upper and lower ends of the stiifeners lying in a plane coincident with the plane of the associated panel, the upper flat marginal portion of each panel being secured to said upper chord member and the lower fiat mar inal portion of each panel being secured to the outer surface of said lower side sill web, each of said stil'feners comprising a generally channel-shaped section and a ledge adjacent each side of said channel-shaped section offset outwardly from the inner face of the panel and forming a surface generally parallel to said inner face, a door opening in said box car side between a pair of adjacent panels and defined by a door frame including a pair of spaced door posts secured to a pair of lower corner gussets, the vertical web of said side sill projecting outwardly adjacent the door opening to a position beneath the door posts and outwardly of the outer face of the adjacent box car side, each of the corner gussets projecting outwardly at the door opening and having a gradual transition section be tween the projection and the adjacent panel, a threshold plate secured to the subjacent side sill and extending between and outwardly of the door posts to provide a supporting surface, a side reinforcing plate secured to the outer face of the'side plate web and extending downwardly therefrom, and a channel secured to the outer face of the side reinforcing plate to form a box-shaped section for reinforcing the door frame.

7. A railway box car side construction as set forth in claim 6 wherein said recessed ledges project from the outer face of the car side a distance between about /4 inch and /s inch, the generally channel-shaped section of defined by a each stiffener projecting a distance from the outer surface of the car side a distance between about two inches and three inches.

8. A railway box car side construction as set forth in claim 6 wherein said recessed ledges project from the outer face of the side a distance between about 4 inch and inch, each ledge providing a surface adjacent the inner surface of the side of between around /2 inch and 1 /2 inches and merging with said inner side surface along an inclined connecting surface at an angle between about 30 degrees and 60 degrees with respect to the plane of said inner surface.

9. A railway box car side construction as set forth in claim 8 wherein a support member spans the recessed portion of said stiffener and is secured to opposed ledges, said support member having an inner surface generally flush with the inner surface of the box car side and an outturned marginal portion on each side thereof welded to an adjacent ledge.

10. A railway box car side construction comprising an upper chord member, a roof extending over the upper chord member and secured thereto, a lower side sill extending generally the length of the car and having a vertical web, a plurality of panels spaced along the side of the car each being secured to said upper chord member and said lower side sill web, a door opening in said box car side between a pair of adjacent panels defined by a door frame including a pair of spaced door posts secured to a pair of lower corner gussets, the vertical web of each of said side sills projecting outwardly adjacent the door opening to a position beneath the door posts and outwardly of the outer face of the adjacent box car side, each of the corner gussets projecting outwardly at the door opening and having a gradual transition section between the projecting portion and the adjacent panel, and a threshold plate secured to the subjacent side sill and extending bet-ween and outwardly of the door posts to provide an outwardly projecting support for a dock plate or the like.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,250,136 12/1917 Burnett -409 1,292,899 1/1919 Slick 105-409 2,054,783 9/ 1936 Gilpin 105-409 2,709,973 6/1955 Meyer 105-409 3,161,152 12/1964 Johansson et a1 105-409 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Examiner. 

1. A RAILWAY BOX CAR SIDE CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING AN UPPER SIDE PLATE HAVING A VERTICAL WEB AND HORIZONTAL UPPER PLATE TO FORM A T-SHAPE, A ROOF EXTENDING OVER THE HORIZONTAL UPPER PLATE AND SECURED THERETO, A LOWER SIDE SILL EXTENDING GENERALLY THE LENGTH OF THE CAR, A PLURALITY OF PERFORMED PANELS SPACED ALONG THE SIDE OF THE CAR EACH HAVING A PLURALITY OF INTEGRAL VERTICAL STIFFENERS PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM THE OUTER FACE OF THE BOX CAR SIDE AND FORMING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING RECESSED PORTIONS ON THE OPPOSITE FACE OF THE SIDE, EACH OF SAID PANELS HAVING A FLAT MARGINAL PORTION AT THE UPPER AND LOWER ENDS OF THE STIFFENERS LYING IN A PLANE COINCIDENT WITH THE PLANE OF THE PANEL, THE UPPER FLAT MARGINAL PORTION OF EACH PANEL BEING SECURED TO SAID VERTICAL WEB OF THE SIDE PLATE AND THE LOWER FLAT MARGINAL PORTION OF EACH PANEL BEING SECURED TO THE LOWER SIDE SILL, AND AN UPPER DOOR FRAME AND A PAIR OF DOOR POSTS DEFINING A DOOR OPENING IN SAID BOX CAR SIDES BETWEEN A PAIR OF ADJACENT PANELS, SAID UPPER DOOR FRAME COMPRISING A CHANNEL SECURED TO THE UPPER SIDE PLATE THEREBY TO FORM A BOX-SHAPED SECTION FOR REINFORCING THE UPPER DOOR FRAME. 